A furore over Britain’s possible exclusion from Galileo post Brexit highlights just how much business stands to lose. The Sun reports Britain is threatening to retaliate by crippling the EU’s satellite navigation system by shutting access to ground radars in the Falklands, Ascension Island and Diego Garcia.
The long-running Galileo saga could be a metaphor for the UK’s tortured relationship with Europe. It is half Shakespearean tragedy, half Whitehall farce. It is a test case for the Brexiters’ attempt to have their cake and eat it – an unscientific theory akin to the notion that the sun revolves around the earth, which the original Galileo debunked.
The plot so far.
Act I – Britain sniffy about Europe’s answer to GPS
EU countries, frustrated by their dependence on the US Global Positioning System (GPS) and being shut out of the military applications and technologies, agree in 2003 to build their own satellite navigation system. Independence in space is seen as vital to Europe’s economic future. While civilian-run and intended primarily for commercial purposes, Galileo also has military uses.
The UK cabinet is initially divided with the Treasury and the Ministry of Defence opposed, and the Foreign Office and Department of Trade and Industry in favour. Tony Blair backs the project but insists it be run as a public-private partnership. British Eurosceptics, notably the Thatcherite Bruges Group, brand it a “white elephant” and say Europe should stick with the American GPS. The US Defence Department lobbies aggressively against Galileo and forces the EU to change the frequencies to avoid “overlay” with US military frequencies. Galileo is originally projected to cost €3.4 billion euros and go live in 2008.
Act II – UK warms to Galileo as costs escalate
Costs escalate, the public-private partnership collapses and the EU decides in 2007 to fund the entire project with public money, mostly by redirecting unspent EU agriculture and administration funds. The UK drops its traditional insistence that any unspent EU funds be returned to national treasuries because Britain has a growing space industry which is bidding for a sizeable share of the work. Surrey Satellite Technology, QinetiQ, Airbus Defence and Space UK all get part of the action.
Act III – We have lift off
After more cost overruns and delays, Galileo finally goes live in 2016 with a price-tag of €10 billion. UK companies have had 15% of the contracts, including building the satellite navigation payloads, while Britain has contributed 12% of the cost. After UK votes to leave the EU, Brussels decides to move a satellite safety backup ground station from Britain to Spain.
Act IV – Britain goes ballistic
The European Commission writes to the UK notifying it that, once it becomes a third country, it will not have access to Galileo’s encrypted public regulated service, the bit with military applications, to avoid security being “irreversibly compromised”. EU officials also say only companies from EU member states will be allowed to bid for future Galileo contracts. The UK goes ballistic. Downing Street vows that Theresa May will fight for the UK to remain a full partner.
Finale – UK a satellite?
We don’t yet know how this ends. Clearly, the UK’s best hope of keeping a role in Galileo and preserving access to its military applications lies in close alignment with EU single market rules and data protection standards. The more we diverge, the more we stand to lose. The Brexiters won’t make the European sun revolve around the British earth. They are making us the satellite.
